Beef-tenderer



(No Model.)

L. L. WELCH.

BEEFl TENDERER.

No. 386,226. Patented July 17., 1888.

Nrre

LEE L. VELCH, OF LEGGETT, TEXAS.

BEEF-TENDERER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,226, dated July 17, 1888.

Application filed January 25, 1888. Serial No. 261.838. (No model.)

T0 all whom it' may concern:

Beit known that l, LEE L. \VELOH, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Leggett, in the county ot' Polk and State ot' Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Beef-Teuderers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in steak-tenderers; and itconsists inthe construetion and novel combination of parts hereinafter described. illustrated in the drawings, and pointed ont in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section ofthe same. Fig. Ll represents a face view of aportion of the toothed roller, drawn to size with the teeth and intervening spaces in proper plOpOlLlOll.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the frame of the deviee,eomposed of the triangular end plates, B D, and the connectingbar b, which holds them together. The said bar has its ends red uced,'forming shoulders b', and the reduced ends are serewthreaded, as shown. The said ends pass through openings in the end plates and are engaged by thumbnuts b2 b2, so that the frame can be easily taken apart to clean the rollers or for other desired purpose. Each end plate is provided with three bearing-notches, one of which, c, extends vertically downward from its apex, while the others, d d, are equally distant on each side thereof and incline equally downward and inward from the corresponding edge of the end plate.

C is the central top roller, with its journals resting in the bearing-notches c c, and which is hereinafter more' fully described, and D D are the lower smooth rollers, with their journals in the bearings l d. The top roller, C, has-its journals extended and turning in washers or blocks, having secured to them the upper ends of the coiled spring E, thelower ends of which are secured to the outer surfaces of the respective end plates.

F is a crank-handle ou the squared end of one of said extended journals.

The machine when in use is attached to the edge of the table or stand by the clamp G or equivalent securing devices.

The roller C is provided with the teeth H, oueAhalf inch long and having one-quarter of an inch face-surface, the said surface being flat aud'interspaeed one-quarter of au inch apart, the interspaees being represented by h It. The said teeth have flat faces and flat sides at right angles thereto, aud the said faces are one-quarter of an inch long on each edge, the area of each being one-fourth of a square inch. The area between each aligned tooth and also between any two facing teeth in adjacent lines or series must also be one-fourth of a square inch. The object of this is that the spaces struck by any series of longitudinally-aligned teeth shall be equal to that between any two series of teeth, so that as the becfsteak is drawn between the rollers and itself moves the spaces struck by each succeeding series of teeth will overlap, and as the teeth in the series are not aligned cireumferentially thestruck spaces will also overlap laterally. This insures a thorough and uniform tendering of the meat. The struck space having an area of one-quarter of a square inch has been found in practice the best size to insure the tendering ofthe meat without breaking the fiber of the same enough to render it un palatable when cooked. The reasons why these proportions are observed are because steak to cook properly should be about one-half inch thick, an d in tendering the space struck by the tooth should neither be too small nor too large. It', therefore, the tooth has less than about onequarter of an inch surface, it penetrates more or less into the meat by separating the fibers and does not compress and break the fibers. If the facesurfaee is larger than about onequarter of an inch, the tooth merely compresses the meat without breaking the fibers, which will sometimes make itslightly tougher. The teeth are arranged around the roller iu series of spirals, of which the members break joints with those adjoining on each side, as shown in Fig. 4.

In operation the teeth Hare intended to run in close proximity to the rollers D. The teeth on the upper roller, being arranged in spiral lines,serve to draw or feed the steak in between the rollers. The smooth rollers, one or both, support the steak while the toothed roller is pressing and bruising the saine. \Vhen it is desired to make the steak very tender, it is ICO drawn between the toothed roller and both smooth rollers; but steak that is not very tough may be passed between the toothed roller and one smooth roller only and drawn down between the smooth rollers.

Having described my invention, I claim- In a steaktenderer, the combination, with the triangular end plates, B, having the bearing-notches c d d, the detachable connectingbar b, provided with the threaded ends and shoulders b', the thumb-nuts b2, the smooth rollers D, and the coiled springs E, of the crank-handle F and the roller C, provided with the teeth H, having square flat faces and fiat sides at right angles to said faces and 15 arranged in aligned longitudinal series and sprally arranged cireumferentially, the areas of the teeth being one-fourth of an inch and the distance between the series of teeth and the teeth in each series being one fourth of an :zo inch, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE L. WELCH.

\Vitnesses:

E. J. GoDsEY, JOHN HARRISON. 

